Microsimulation for Local Impact Analysis: an Application to Plant Shutdown

Microsimulation was introduced nearly 50 years ago but has recently experienced a revival in the social sciences. Its use in regional science, however, has been limited, although it offers some advantages over common regional analytic methods. This paper describes a microsimulation model that can be used to analyze the impact of a regional economic event. The model incorporates spatial, social, and economic factors and allows outcomes to be aggregated at different geographical scales, for different cohorts, and for variables not ordinarily considered in impact analysis. The model is used to simulate the effects of a plant shutdown on workers. Copyright Blackwell Publishers, 2005